The number of foreigners interested in acquiring Italian citizenship has increased constantly in the last few years, as Italy is one of the most important economies in Europe and the European Union. While some those who want to immigrate to Italy choose to give up their citizenship at the moment of the application, there are also citizens interested in acquiring dual citizenship in Italy.
It is possible to obtain Italian dual citizenship as the government here does not require foreign immigrants to give up their citizenship, as other countries do. This is also what makes Italy very appealing for foreign citizens, no matter the reason they decide to relocate here.
Below, our immigration lawyers in Italy explain who can obtain Italian dual citizenship and how to do that. We are at your service no matter if you want to apply for Italian dual citizenship or a simple residence permit.
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There are several ways to obtain citizenship in Italy and all of them allow foreign nationals to retain their first passports. Those interested in how to get dual citizenship in Italy must know the following:
Italy is one of the friendliest countries in Europe and the European Union when it comes to the possibility of obtaining dual citizenship.
Our immigration lawyers in Italy can assist foreign citizens and entrepreneurs interested in acquiring a passport in this country. Before obtaining citizenship you need to apply for a residence permit in Italy.
Here is also an infographic with the main ways of obtaining dual citizenship in Italy:
There are several criteria to be met for those interested in acquiring citizenship in Italy. Among these are:
Italian citizenship by descent can also be obtained if the applicant’s grandparents were Italian citizens.
There are several ways to obtain Italian dual citizenship, including after having lived in Italy based on a residence permit.
Our immigration lawyers in Italy can offer more information on obtaining Italian citizenship by descent.
Employment or self-employment is one of the best ways of getting dual citizenship in Italy. This option is available for both EU and non-EU citizens with the mention that only the latter category of applicants will need to apply for an employment visa or for a self-employed residence permit. EU citizens must register with the local police office in the city they live in within 8 days from entering the country. Even so, they too need to wait the required period of time before applying for Italian citizenship.
With respect to non-EU citizens, they can apply for several types of work permits which come with residence visas, however, only a few of them represent a direct way to permanent residence followed by citizenship.
Third-country nationals interested in how to get dual citizenship in Italy by means of employment can apply for one of the following types of visas:
There is also the self-employment permit under which a foreign citizen from a non-EU country can work independently but also for an Italian employer.
The main aspect to consider when applying for dual citizenship in Italy is that different criteria apply based on the nationality of the candidate. These can be influenced by specific agreements between Italy and the applicant’s country of origin, by international treaties, as well as by Italy’s immigration policies.
If you want to apply for dual citizenship, we recommend you discuss your case directly with our immigration lawyer in Italy who can provide case-to-case advice.
The self-employment permit is another option for those seeking to apply for dual citizenship in Italy. This type of residence visa is available for those who can complete activities on an independent basis, such as handcrafters, sole traders, doctors, and so on.
Apart from these, it is also possible to obtain Italian citizenship by marriage while retaining the first passport.
One of the simplest ways of obtaining dual citizenship in Italy is by descent, as compared to the indirect Citizenship by Investment Scheme, this procedure is not subject to any investment criteria which implies a significant amount of money.
The steps to be completed when seeking to obtain Italian dual citizenship are:
If the documents are approved, the applicant will receive the Italian passport within a few months after the procedure is completed.
If you need assistance in obtaining Italian dual citizenship, our immigration lawyers in Italy can assist you with various services, including tracking down Italian ancestors.
Those seeking information on how to get dual citizenship in Italy and the documents required should know that these are not different from those when giving up the former citizenship. These depend on the way the foreign citizen immigrated to Italy and must be accompanied by a naturalization certificate that will attest to the applicant’s successful results to the tests imposed by the Italian Ministry of Interior and Foreign Affairs.
Our Italian immigration lawyers can assist in preparing the file when applying for dual citizenship. These must be filed with the Italian authorities if the applicant is in Italy at the time the request is made or with the Italian Embassy or Consulate if he/she is abroad at the time of the application. It is possible for Italian embassies or consulates to request various documents, which is why it best to ask on the specific requisites before starting the procedure.
If you have questions on how to apply for a residence permit in Italy, please address them to us.
This is our video on how to obtain dual citizenship in Italy:
Becoming an Italian citizen has many advantages, among which the equal rights to those born here (voting and employment rights), access to the national education and healthcare systems, as well as EU residency and free travel to all EU and Schengen member states. Dual citizenship holders can also buy real estate in Italy.
Italian citizenship is accessible to both EU and non-EU applicants.
Obtaining Italian dual citizenship often implies a lot of research through national archives which for foreign citizens who have not come to Italy before can be quite difficult. With a vast experience in immigration to Italy, our lawyers can help with all the requirements related to obtaining citizenship, including dual citizenship in Italy.
The most important aspect of obtaining Italian dual citizenship is creating a connection between the foreign applicant and Italian ancestor, however, our lawyers can assist in such matters.
Italy is a very appealing country to immigrate to because it offers good jobs for those moving here based on employment permits, it also offers good investment opportunities and even students will find it very appealing to study here.
According to statistics:
Persons who want to relocate to Italy for residency or citizenship in 2024 must know that Italy is one of the European countries with the largest number of foreigners. By the end of 2022, the Italian authorities have announced that the total number of foreigners living in Italy is above 5 million, while the largest share, of more than 1 million, is represented by Romanian citizens.
For assistance in obtaining Italian dual citizenship, please contact our immigration lawyers.
The law on citizenship in Italy was modified in 1992 to allow dual citizenship in certain cases. In order to apply for it, you must make the proof of having Italian ancestry and for this, various documents must be used (this applies to the cases where the foreigners are of Italian descent and have the citizenship of another country). However, dual citizenship can be obtained following other routes, such as naturalization.
The documents are either in the possession of your family, either they must be identified in the Italian registers that gather information on the Italian population.
You can move to Italy to start this procedure or you can be in the country where you have your residence. Our immigration lawyers can provide legal assistance on the steps you must initiate.
You can contact us if you need information on how to become a permanent resident of this country, as well as for any other details that is related to immigration (relocating with family members, visa requirements, work visas, etc.)
Although the legislation for dual citizenship hasn’t had many updates in the last years, it is necessary to know that if you want to apply in 2024 for dual citizenship based on your Italian ancestry, there are some new rules to follow.
Thus, if you have Italian ancestry, you must apply in accordance with the rules of the Article 36 Law 2026/2021, which states that a person who wants to claim citizenship based on ancestry has to initiate the procedure at a court located in the region where the ancestor lived/lives.
The case has to be heard by the District Court in the town where the ancestor has his or her residency or, if the ancestor lives/lived in a village, to the district court located in a municipality that has jurisdiction over the respective village.